Where do servals live?

Servals are common on savannas where there is plenty of water. They prefer areas of bush, tall grass, and dry reed beds near streams, but they are also found in high-altitude moorlands and bamboo thickets. It is found in most parts of Africa, with the exception of Central Equatorial Africa, the very Southern part of the continent, and the Sahara region.

What is a serval?

Servals are medium-sized wild cats with tawny, black-spotted coats and long necks and long legs that allow them to see over savanna grasses. They also have large ears and an acute sense of hearing.

Behavior & Diet

Servals enjoy a diverse diet.

Servals eat a great variety of prey, including rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, and insects. They catch much of their prey by leaping high into the air and pouncing. They have also been seen using their long forelimbs to reach into burrows or to hook fish out of water. They are quite successful hunters and seldom eat carrion.

They lead a solitary existence.

Servals come together in pairs only for a few days when the female is in heat.

They are single mothers.

Serval kittens, born in litters of two to four, are difficult to observe, as the mother hides them well and frequently changes the hiding place. Because the female raises the litter alone, she has to hunt frequently to feed them. When the young are large enough to hunt, the mother drives the males out. Young females remain somewhat longer, but when they become sexually mature, they too leave to establish their own territories.

Gallery

Challenges

Servals are hunted by humans.

Servals’ spotted coats are sometimes marketed as young leopards or cheetahs and can attract a hearty price on the black market. This, as well as the serval’s tendency to attack poultry, makes it a target for hunters. Consequently, servals are no longer found in heavily populated areas.

Solutions

Our solutions to protecting the serval:

Engage wildlife scouts.

African Wildlife Foundation works with communities who live in close quarters with wildlife and equips scouts with essential tools, such as Global Positioning System (GPS)-monitoring devices and vehicles. As a result, AWF is able to ensure enhanced protection of wildlife in these regions as well as provide additional employment opportunities to local communities.

Foster symbiosis between wildlife and people.

AWF works with communities living in close proximity to wildlife to incentivize conservation. In exchange for refraining from retaliatory killing or killing for products, like fur, communities receive training in sustainable, and more productive, agriculture techniques that lead to enhanced food and economic security.

Projects

Will you show the serval your support?

With your help, AWF can continue working on critical programs like providing training for sustainable agriculture and engaging wildlife scouts. Donate for a cause that will help with wildlife conservation and ensure the serval does not become an endangered species.

Reason #16 to get involved

You can help protect one of man’s closest relatives—the endagered bonobo. Vital supplies are needed for scouts in the Faunal Reserve of Lomako-Yokokala, a critical bonobo habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Reason #76 to get involved

Reason #43 to get involved

Conservation-minded individuals can work with AWF to designate their lands as protected spaces. These environmental easements help counter the decline of wildlife due to development and habitat fragmentation.

Reason #28 to get involved

African Wildlife Foundation has helped farmers return to the Congo River as a means of finding new markets for their goods. To improve livelihoods and reduce locals’ reliance on wildlife hunting for survival, efforts like this need continued funding.

Reason #62 to get involved

Hippos are highly valued for their fatty meat and ivory tusks, putting them in the crosshairs of hunters and poachers. The Zambia Wildlife Authority and the Lower Zambezi Natural Park rely on African Wildlife Foundation's support to secure the park and protect hippos.

Reason #11 to get involved

Wildlife corridors allow migratory species, like the wildebeest and zebra, to roam safely. Without intervention, these free spaces are threatened by increasing development and agriculture.

Reason #85 to get involved

AWF works with a host of partners on issues ranging from climate change to land conservation. Projects like Kolo Hills REDD+ are examples of our continued success working with partners.

Reason #67 to get involved

Already vulnerable to a number of natural predators, the kudu now faces loss of habitat due to habitat destruction and poaching. When you support African Wildlife Foundation, you support local communities’ efforts to protect wildlife habitats.